World number one position no obsession for Van Gerwen: 'If I lose my first place, so be it'

For Michael van Gerwen the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship begins on Saturday evening. The route towards a fourth world title starts against Ryan Murray, who saw off Lourenc Ilagan in the first round.

There is also something else at stake this year. The world number one position from Van Gerwen is heavily under threat. The Dutchman has currently been number one on the PDC Order of Merit for almost seven years. Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price can take over the first place after the World Championship.

Van Gerwen thinks it is all a side issue and is not busy with it, he assured Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. ''It's no obsession for me. If I lose my first place, so be it. I can't do more then my best. If it happens, I have to do my best even more. That's not always easy, because everyone has an opinion about you. Luckily I have a big back. It's not the first time I'm performing less good, it just takes longer at the moment. Two years ago the same happened and I bounced back from that as well. That's why there is no panic for me.''

While the three-time world champion said the world number one position is no obsession for him, he thinks the PDC Order of Merit system should change. The results at the World Championship weigh too heavily on the rankings according to the Dutchman.

''That has nothing to do with the fact I can lose my first place. I just think it's time for a points system instead of a ranking based on prize money. The World Championship counts disproportionately heavy. Of course it's the most important tournament, but you have to win five majors to win as much prize money as with a world title. I know that some other players are thinking the same about this. But if the PDC wants to keep it like this, we will have to deal with it.''